Knowing where and how to apply AI is becoming a practical challenge for travel managers. Which opportunities are worth pursuing? What barriers need to be addressed? And how can travel managers separate practical applications from hype?
A new toolkit from the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) and BCD Travel is designed to help.
Developed through ITM’s 2026 Platinum Pathways initiative, and moderated by BCD, AI & the Evolution of Travel brings together insights from travel buyers and industry experts exploring how AI can be applied across managed travel. Now, those discussions have been turned into practical guidance travel managers can use in their own programs.
Rather than prescribing a single approach to AI, the toolkit provides frameworks, real world examples, questions to ask and governance guidelines to help travel managers evaluate opportunities based on their organization’s priorities and stage of AI adoption.
Five areas to explore
The toolkit organizes the AI conversation around five areas that give travel managers a way to move from broad questions about AI to more focused decisions about where it could create meaningful value:
- Myths vs. Reality: Challenge common assumptions about AI and ask the right questions before assessing solutions.
- Booking & Service: Consider where AI could support booking and servicing and how opportunities may differ depending on AI maturity.
- Payment & Expense: Weigh potential impact against the barriers to adoption.
- Governance & Risk: Consider the governance, legal and risk questions that should inform responsible AI adoption.
- Data & Intelligence: Assess whether data is sufficiently reliable and connected to support more advanced AI applications.
Start with the problem, not the technology
One lesson came through clearly in our Pathway discussions: AI adoption shouldn’t be an end in itself.
“AI adoption in business travel is not simply about identifying the next technology or solution,” said Sarah Whiting, senior director, Solutions Engineering at BCD. “It’s about making informed decisions: Understanding where AI can create meaningful value, recognizing the barriers to adoption, and prioritizing investments that align with program goals.”
Turn AI questions into practical next steps
There is no single AI roadmap that works for every travel program. Data maturity, risk requirements, technology environments and business priorities vary.
Rather than starting with AI, begin with the business or traveler need and then determine whether AI is the right solution. The AI & the Evolution of Travel helps travel managers do exactly that, providing a framework to ask better questions, evaluate opportunities and identify the applications that make the most sense for their program, whether they are just beginning to explore AI or already assessing specific use cases.
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